FreezeFrame – Sushi Bar of Smiles

Remember to do some facial stretching before watching this show, or you’ll pull a cheek muscle from smiling too much.

Yamada Tarou Monogatari represents everything that is great about Japanese dramas – a wholesome blend of comedy, romance, and a similar kind of fascination that almost everybody has with fireworks – that entrancing pull that leaves you wondering what’s next but always satisfies. But what exactly makes this show so enjoyable?

It wasn’t until late in the second episode that I realized what the entertainment value of this drama was. Simply put, it had the power to put all kinds of different smiles on my face. It’s like an all-you-can-eat sushi bar, with all the different colors and flavors and textures – but every single delicately sliced piece of seafood is guaranteed to please.

So what’s on the menu for Yamada Tarou Monogatari?

The Contagious Smile – The kind of smile you catch from watching a lot of people around you smile. This is such a happy show with so many people smiling, you can’t help but do it yourself.

The Hopeless Dreamer Smile – The main girl has one heck of a vivid imagination, and her fantasies are always so elaborate and out of this world.

The “LOOOL Schoolgirls” Smile – The schoolgirl mob is so predictable and yet so necessary in these shows. Who else would welcome you at the school gate? Who else would make you lunch? Who else would offer you tissues to blow your nose?

The Wholesome Family Smile – There’s just something about watching a happy family that brings a smile to our faces. Especially if it’s a poor family – but they don’t care, they have each other.

The “Awwww” Smile – “Cute” can be defined in many different ways by guys and girls of all ages – this show offers the whole lineup ranging from cute siblings to prancing schoolgirls to hot guys (??) and even shy teachers!

The “Been There, Done That” Smile – Whether it’s fighting with the old ladies at a supermarket sale (guilty) or holding back tears while biting into that homemade onigiri (haven’t had breakfast yet), it’s always fun to watch the characters do the same things we hold fondly in our memories.

The “Oh No He Di’nt!” Smile – Diving in the air to save… a bento. Stealing toilet paper from the school bathroom. How about maid cosplay? Doesn’t matter what you’re into, there’s bound to be something you find crazy.

And that’s just a small sampling of the first two episodes. With all the things going on and all the different smiles, it’s just nothing but a good time. Lighthearted fun that’s easy to watch with a feel-good spirit that lingers with you for the whole week – if you’ve never seen a Japanese drama or are just waiting to see if this one turns out well before you pick it up – Yamada Tarou Monogatari is guaranteed to put a big smile on your face. Don’t miss this!

Jaalin’s talking about the smiles he gets when he watches a particular type of scene, so there’s no pictures to post unless you want seven dorky ones of Jaalin smiling.
In any case, I feel the exact same way about this show. Almost everything about it brings a smile to my face.